By MICHAEL TAVOLIERO
Florida, with a population of 20 million, called it a night just four hours after polls closed, while Alaska, a state that could fit its entire voter base into a Tampa Bay neighborhood, is still counting.
Seriously, how is it that the state with fewer people than most cities can’t manage a timely vote count, especially when this race is for Alaska’s seat in Congress?
It’s like déjà vu from previous elections, where we also waited for what felt like forever. All of this raises questions about how our state officials are handling this—ahem, former Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer, who didn’t exactly give Alaska a squeaky-clean elections process, and now his successor, Nancy Dahlstrom, seems just fine with keeping up the delay-filled tradition.
Now, Lt. Gov. Dahlstrom has two main duties: keeping the State Seal safe and ensuring our elections run smoothly. But with this sluggish vote count and a handful of excuses that barely hold water, Alaskans are starting to wonder if the State Seal might as well be on the endangered list.
And in case things weren’t wild enough, there’s a rumor that Gov. Mike Dunleavy could be heading to Washington if Trump taps him for a role in his administration. Sounds out there, but then again, Trump has surprised us with his picks before. Should Dunleavy go, that would leave Dahlstrom in the governor’s chair. Just what Alaska needs, right? Another chapter in our state’s unpredictable saga.
So what’s going on with Nancy? She’s got enough tenacity to last several lifetimes, but maybe it’s time to see the bigger picture. If stubbornness was currency, Alaska would be in a budget surplus. Yet when it comes to our elections and the role she might soon inherit, this isn’t cutting it.
For Alaska’s sake, maybe it’s time to call it a day, Nancy.
Michael Tavoliero is a senior writer at Must Read Alaska.
Come on Mike, it’s complicated as you know.
And it shouldn’t be is the point
The logistics is unique. In some way, Alaska is still in the state age.
She should be fired after the election mess.
Glad she is not running the state although our current governor isn’t Good morning doing well at it.
agree…Dunleavy keeps recycling BAD players.
I’m not sure you can blame the delays in counting on the Lieutenant Governor when rank voting and volunteers in far flung villages are the root cause of the issue.
That too was my point.
Anybody with a history in this state ought to know this. Running an election in scores of remote villages, especially now that said elections have been all muddled up, has always been a slow process. Now throw in RCV, which was not the fault of the Div. of Elections.
I’m really tired of the inter-party warfare that has been, yet again, a hallmark of the right. Frankly, I’m surprised they’ve enjoyed such success this election despite their endless fanatical attempts at political suicide. This party/faction has two years to accomplish as much. as possible, and actually try to accomplish something that the next Democrat executives can’t undo with a signature. It’s probably not the best start continuing primary campaigns and throwing grenades at fellow Republicans/conservatives.
So Steve, who do you blame for the mess ups? Who’s in charge who reports to who do we get the little in user or do we go after the head of the snake? She got elected. She was in charge the buck stops at her desk.
Do you think we had a fire some of the low in employees instead?
If I were to blame anyone it would be the uninformed voters who voted to link PFD registration with voters registration, I’d then blame the uninformed voters who voted in rank voting, after that I’d blame the uninformed voters who continue to vote in people to the legislature who will not pass common sense election reform. Basically uninformed voters are to blame for the mess that is our election system, unfortunately there are many uninformed voters who would rather blame someone who has precious little to do with the reasons why our election system is broken and yet they demand that this one elected official simply disregard or outright break the law, all because they’d prefer to remain ignorant than become informed.
This is my view as well. I have heard nothing to suggest that the process is different this time. It is more than a little interesting that the article’s author cites absolutely no specifics. It appears that he is only throwing rocks because he wants to throw rocks. An unserious article.
Villagers still trying to spell Murkowski from 2010.
No. Your racism is unfounded. They voted for Trump this time. Remember?
Forkner, I think you are the racist and bigot. I have said nothing about race. Your jump to conclusions tells a lot about you……mister.
You presume villagers can’t spell based on race. Guilty!
Leadership, or rather lack of leadership. Have we even heard a statement from her? About this or voter rolls or RCV?
Kind of smells, doesn’t it? The longer it takes, the more I think there is something fishy going on!?!?!?
Because the Div. of Elections is populated by democrats and they are trying to think of ever possible way they can add votes to Peltola without getting caught and going to jail….maybe? You think?
I do think! 😆. Not just votes for Peltola but also against BM2.
Nancy has disappeared! She’s the true kind of government employee: Only talks to the public when she wanted to be elected as a Congresswoman! We haven’t seen hide nor hair of her since she dropped out. But I’m sure she’s still taking a paycheck!
Definitely don’t need Dunleavy in the Trump Administration, in the end as Governor, he is ultimately responsible for everyone below him in the state government. Why didn’t he order Dahlstrom to release vote totals as they came in? It is absolutely public information, for jurisdictions that claim to operate free and fair election integrity. The fish rots from the head down.
He also went along with Alaska residents having to decide between losing their jobs and careers or injecting non trial proven toxins into their bodies over a hyped planedemic.
The idea of Dahlstrom becoming governor due to automatic succession is not acceptable. She has proven herself to be an individual that absolutely must not be in an executive position.
Retirement would imply you were doing a job. She hasn’t been doing her job for a very long time
We need action orientated bold leaders who understand the gross attack of our liberties just experienced, understand our Constitution and are willing to quell those attacking it. The 2020 election fraud will come to light. Marxism should never be a possibility. I have no confidence in any of the leaders/ representatives we have. Where are you Joe Miller?
YES!
Both dunleavy and dahlstrom need to go. Alaska is in desperate need of strong conservative leadership before the californication is complete.
Who would take his place? We could get a Gavin Newsom or Jay Inslee.
Couldn’t agree more, Michael. Not only is there a high level of incompetency coming from Nancy Dahlstrom as Lt. Governor (and Elections Director for Alaska), she is also a belligerent player in the Republican Party. She has little name recognition outside of her small circle, yet she was willing to play the part of spoiler during Alaska’s congressional race. Only after being shamed down did she withdraw from the race and give Nick Begich and the Republicans a decent shot at beating Mary Peltola and the Democrats. Only a fool hardly candidate with a very large stubborn ego would have entered that race long after Nick Begich declared his candidacy. Nancy Dahlstrom is not well liked by the electorate or by the majority of Republicans. At her old age, she is better off to retire, as suggested by Mr. Tavoliero and support more up and coming team players in the Republican Party. If she is to inherit the governorship through ascendency, she will be weak and Democrats will take a very likely successful shot at her in 2026.
Dahlstrom has no spine and doesn’t pull through to assist anybody, ……but herself. A very weak person. Good article, Mike.
You nailed it, Spurgeon. She is an absolute selfish narcissist.
But Dahlstrom may become the Jail House Warden in Chief. Go watch the Shawshank Redemption again.
It’s not complicated at all. In fact a citizen government is very simple. It only became complex when people with no conscience took over.
If Mike leaves now, it will prove he is only looking out for himself and not Alaska. Nancy has only been missing opportunities – one after another.
The average Alaskan does not know much about their serving Lt. Governor, Nancy Dahlstrom. Her ill-starred recent run for Alaska’s At Large Congressional seat made that point quite clear when she had an embarrassingly poor showing in the primary. To her credit she withdrew thereby avoiding the split ticket debacle that awarded the seat to Mary Peltola in 2022. Now it’s back to the Lt. Governor’s more mundane tasks of maintaining the State Seal, administering the State’s elections and keeping a ‘go-bag’ handy in case of a change of status by the Governor.
But wait, there could be more! How about the Lt. Governor prevailing on the Governor to release the investigative report the Governor had assigned Commissioner of Administration Kelly Tshibaka to draft after her analysis of the function of the Division of Elections? Tshibaka was made to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement by the Governor. When the report was grudgingly ‘released’ it was drenched with redaction ink. Even Senator Shower, who was holding hearings and drafting election reform legislation at the time, was not allowed to see beyond the redactions. Unbelievable. Where is the transparency the public cries for in government? How do you fix problems when you hide them? Were any improvements made to Alaska’s election system as a result of the Tshibaka report?
Now that Senator Murkowski’s reelection insurance policy known as Rank Choice Voting is experiencing a well deserved death by the voters, Lt. Governor Dahlstrom can now work to restore sanity to Alaska elections. Make Alaska elections a one night stand once again. Get absentee ballots in line with this goal. Give serious consideration to getting Alaska on the glide path of getting rid of voting machines. With our shrinking population, counting votes should be getting easier. Many smart people are urging states to do just that. Many countries have banned them.
Keeping the State Seal safe is important. But there is so much more to do, Lt. Governor Dahlstrom!
This is a great opportunity for Lt Governor Dahlstrom to respond to the above article and explain to all Alaskans the process, federal laws, and why we cannot get a daily count of the election results. Alaskans deserve answers to these questions and she must respond.
Should Dahlstrom retire? NO! She should be fired and no severance package provided. She is a demonrat that ran as a republican.
Here, here.
She’s been working?
Ah, Mikey, Governor Dunleavy and Dahlstrom know that nothing good results from the yipping and yapping of the woodsy Chihuahuas and Pomeranians here on the Alaskan frontier. There’s nothing like a Trumpian kick in the ribs to send the little mutts off whimpering and whining.
Yes, yes, yes!!
It is a week since the election and we still do not know who our representative will be nor the outcome of the ballot measures. Our statewide voter turn out is shameful, at less than 50% of registered voters for a major election? Add also the local legacy media isn’t even reporting, and results on division of elections website are election night totals only. This is unconscionable and obviously something is very wrong. Seems all of those ‘infilled ballots’ could also be seen as an opportunity to ‘enhance’ the outcome.
She and Dunleavy have dropped the ball when it comes to our states election system. We need one of those MAGA candidates, maybe Kelly Tshibaka
Extremely well said, Michael.
And Nancy, as one old lady to another, I’m here to to you that it’s time to hang them up.
Not to be mean or anything but you were never very good at this governing thing anyway and instead, it looks like you’d just inserted yourself into it in pursuit of a paycheck and some attention which aren’t entirely bad reasons at all but the public deserves much better.
Please just go master baking, being a grandma, and maybe bingo or something you can be good at without ruining the state with this sort of glaring incompetence.
Thanks, girlfriend.
Nancy needs to retire and let Governor Dunleavy choose a new lieutenant governor before he joins the Trump administration. One suggestion would be Craig Campbell.
It was said to me by a prominent writer on here that Mike has no stones. Trump wants yes men, but not wusses.
Which writer? Kyle Hopkins at ADN or Cole up at the Newsminer? Both are great sources of propaganda, liberal jibberish and vile BS. But good for old bongers who moved south.
No, a little closer to home.
You are right on with the “no stones” statement. Dunleavy hides and lies his way thru critical information to make sure the public doesn’t find out. Lies about the budget and the PFD, covering up for his mealy mouth lying Adam Crumb. Dunleavy hasn’t unpinned his diaper pin from Murkowski’s shirt tail to do the work for the people of the state instead of the Biden Administration. Dahlstrom was the only person he could find to run with him, so he has covered up serious information on the murders and drug running in the prisons. When Dunleavy is gone from Alaska’s scene, we will be much better off. The worse cases covered up was the foster care programs in Dept of Health and Social Services. Shame on him for those cover ups.
The last batch of ballots should be arriving from Nanooktuk any day now.
Give or take a week. Depending on pizza delivery interruptions.
Dude it’s a state law that they wait 10 days after Election Day for absentee ballots to arrive. Because of ranked choice voting, they need to wait that time before getting to the second round of votes. Let’s all hope this is the last time we need to deal with RCV, but Lt. Gov Dahlstrom is just following the law.
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